Find Out Who You Are:
One or Zero
From The Times Of India - The Speaking Tree

The following is a conversation
between a computer geek and a spiritual guru:Computer Geek: What is
spirituality?Guru: Spirituality essentially
teaches that all beings are one. It reiterates Universal
Oneness.CG: What does that mean?Guru: It means that animals
and all other non-human creatures are as good as human
beings. The Sanskrit phrase, 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam',
which belies the basic spiritual concept, implies that
the whole universe is my family and that all beings
are One. Spirituality, therefore, teaches us to be humble
and to not feign arrogance arising out of power or intellect.CG: But if all beings are
One, where does God fit in?Guru: After listening to
various spiritual gurus and reading myriad literature,
one may realise that God, the Supreme Being, is essentially
a state of zero, or the state in which one has zero
desires.CG: Spiritually speaking,
what should be the ultimate aim of life?
Guru: Spiritually, the ultimate aim of a
human being's life is to transform himself from a state
of one to that of zero.CG: How is religiosity
different from spirituality?Guru: Religiosity, on the
other hand, describes human beings as zero. Listen to
the religious discourses and you shall often hear "Hum
sab us parmatma ke ansh hain" - We are, every one
of us, nothing but a minuscule part of God. In plain
English, it means, without God, one is nothing or zero.CG: Like spirituality,
does religiosity also treat all creatures the same?Guru: While religiosity
preaches tolerance and respect towards all creatures,
human beings are considered superior to other creatures.

Some religious scriptures also claim that
a human being is the most beautiful creation of God. CG: But if all beings are
zero, where does God fit in religiosity?Guru: Religiosity preaches
that God, a higher being, is the state of Oneness - where
all is one and the same. Remember, Sai Baba said, "Sabka
malik ek" - God is One.CG: So, religiously speaking,
what is the final aim of my life?Guru: Religiosity preaches
that the ultimate aim of a human being's life is to transform
from a state of zero to that of one.CG: Thanks. You cleared my
confusion.Guru: So, what do you consider
yourself to be: spiritual or religious?CG: (Scratches his head)
Will Google answer this question?Guru: Good God, it doesn't.
Else, I will be out of job.CG: My "brain disk"
has crashed. Could you help me?Guru: Sure. Just ask yourself:
Do you consider yourself one or zero?CG: I am a bit of both -
one and zero.Guru: Well, that means you
are 10, which is the binary code for 2, and that is the
dwandwa or duality of this world!CG: I don't understand what
is dwandwa or duality.Guru: it means that this
world needs both one and zero, signifying that opposites
coexist. We need spirituality and religiosity, only when
one and zero come together they make the world a beautiful
place. In essence, the world is nothing but a manifestation
of various combinations of zero and one.